NFL

10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 3

Week 2 was relatively low-scoring in the fantasy football world, thanks to 16 teams being held under 20 points on the field. As a result, there weren't many breakout fantasy stars, which might create a slow week on the waiver wire.

Most of the following recommended waiver moves will be speculative adds based on promising workloads through the first two weeks. Few, if any, need to immediately be inserted into your lineup. So be sure to study your team and make sure you can afford to stash one of these players before shaking up your roster.

If you are in position to make a move, here's a look at 10 potential transactions to make before Week 3.

Demarcus Robinson, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Yahoo Ownership: 4 percent

Last week, I detailed why Demarcus Robinson's track record as a deep ball threat made him the guy to own in Tyreek Hill's absence, and that's exactly how it played out Sunday. Robinson led Kansas City Chiefs receivers with 172 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders.

According to Sports Info Solutions, 21 percent of Robinson's targets were at least 20 yards downfield in 2018. Meanwhile Mecole Hardman -- who is also seeing an increased workload in Hill's absence -- had almost as many drops (four) as receptions (five) on the deep ball during his final season in college.

Hardman also had a nice game (4 receptions, 61 yards and a touchdown) and may be worth adding if someone beats you to Robinson, but expect Robinson to continue seeing a significant share of Patrick Mahomes' downfield targets while Hill is out.

Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Redskins

Yahoo Ownership: 51 percent

Terry McLaurin, a rookie out of Ohio State, has reached the end zone in each of the Redskins' first two games and has already been on the receiving end of 16 targets from Case Keenum.

Entering the season, ownership was low for the entire Redskins offense, but the 'Skins have scored 27 and 21 points in their first two games against two respectable defenses (Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys). If Washington's offense continues to perform at a decent level and feed McLaurin, he'll remain a fantasy-relevant receiver.

As an added bonus, McLaurin may have an even higher ceiling once his college teammate, rookie Dwayne Haskins, inevitably takes over at quarterback. With the Redskins sitting at 0-2, it's likely only a matter of time before Jay Gruden turns the page and hands the offense to Haskins, who already has a rapport with McLaurin and is a more talented downfield passer than Keenum.

Peyton Barber, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yahoo Ownership: 47 percent

Heading into the season, no one really knew what to expect from Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' backfield, especially after Dare Ogunbowale appeared as another weapon late in the preseason.

Through two games, however, a plan is starting to emerge. Here's a breakdown of each running back's touches based on various situations.

RB TB Winning TB Trailing by 3 or Less TB Trailing by 3+
Barber 14 12 3
Jones 0 7 9
Ogunbowale 0 1 4


When things are going as planned, clearly Tampa favors Barber and will likely continue to give him a significant share of touches while in control of the game. On Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers -- a game in which Tampa never trailed by more than three points -- Barber finished with 23 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown.

If you're worried about Tampa not having the lead frequently enough to give Barber fantasy value, that's fair. However, Week 3 should be a game in which you can rely on him against the lowly New York Giants. At the very least, he's worth picking up for that matchup alone, even if you end up cutting him down the road.

D.J. Chark, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Yahoo Ownership: 12 percent

D.J. Chark's value might drop once Marqise Lee returns from injury, but until we see how the targets are divided when the depth chart is at full strength, Chark should be on a roster in your league. Through two games, Chark leads the Jacksonville Jaguars with 11 catches on 13 targets for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns. His touchdown reception in the final seconds of Jacksonville's loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday was the Jaguars' only score of the game.

Chark was a second-round pick of the Jaguars in 2018, so it's no surprise they're feeding him the ball early this season. Clearly the team was hoping to see how he would respond to a bigger workload in Lee's absence, and he's lived up to expectations.

Chark ran a 4.34 forty-yard dash at the NFL combine, so his success as a deep threat is no fluke. He may continue to be a vital part of the Jaguars offense even after Lee returns.

Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins

Yahoo Ownership: 48 percent

Through two games, Chris Thompson has just 5 carries, but he leads the Redskins with 18 targets.

Thompson's value is game-script dependent, as the Redskins tend to lean on him more heavily when forced to throw the ball while trailing. In 2018, Thompson saw a 9.7 percent target share while the Redskins were winning, but that number jumped to 18.5 percent when the team was trailing by 10 or more points. Fortunately for Thompson's fantasy value, the Redskins are unlikely to hold many leads this season.

Given his role in the offense, Thompson is probably only worth adding in PPR leagues -- in seven years with the Redskins, he's reached the end zone just 15 times.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, New Orleans Saints

Yahoo Ownership: < 1%

In 14 years with the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees has missed just three games, and two were in Week 17. Unfortunately, it sounds like he could miss a significant chunk of the season due to a thumb injury suffered on Sunday.

In Brees' absense, Teddy Bridgewater failed to make a strong impression, leading New Orleans to just nine points on three field goals. However, with weapons like Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara at his disposal, it would not be surprising to see Bridgewater emerge as a strong fantasy option while Brees is sidelined.

Even if he's the Saints starter, Bridgewater probably shouldn't enter your starting lineup in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, but if you have room on your bench, it could pay off to stash him for future favorable matchups.

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo Ownership: 60 percent

Rashaad Penny's ownership remains relatively high due to preseason expectations, but if he was dropped in your league after seeing just six carries in Week 1, he might be worth a speculative add.

When Chris Carson out-touched Penny 21 to 6 in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, it looked like Penny would remain irrelevant. However, Carson opened the competition up again by losing his second fumble of the season in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Prior to the fumble, Carson appeared to be on pace to dominate the game again, out-touching Penny five to one. After the fumble, Carson had 13 touches to Penny's 10.

You shouldn't trust Penny in your starting lineup yet, but Carson might be on thin ice. If he loses the ball again in Week 3 against the Saints, Penny's workload could skyrocket.

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo Ownership: 48 percent

Rookie D.K. Metcalf's 13 targets through two games (24.1 percent target share) is just one behind Seahawks leader Tyler Lockett. He's clearly stepped into an immediate role in the offense and is helping to replace the retired Doug Baldwin.

What gives Metcalf such a high ceiling in fantasy is his big-play potential. Six of his seven receptions have gone for at least 15 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Given his inexperience, it's possible Metcalf is just scratching the surface of his potential and an even bigger role in Seattle's offense could be on the horizon. Even if he doesn't fit into your starting lineup yet, he should be added and stored on your bench.

Will Dissly, TE, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo Ownership: 3 percent

In Seattle's run-heavy offense, Will Dissly's fantasy value will always be touchdown dependent, but the odds of him consistently reaching the end zone appear strong. Dissly scored twice on Sunday in Pittsburgh, and now has four touchdowns in six career games.

Russell Wilson has only attempted four red-zone pass attempts, so we don't really know how he'll divvy up his targets this year, but it's a positive sign that two of those have gone to Dissly. In four games before a season-ending injury in 2018, Dissly had a 20 percent target share in the red zone -- so a solid workload near the goal line is likely.

Tennessee Titans, Defense

Yahoo Ownership: 35 percent

Ownership of the Tennessee D/ST spiked following a strong performance in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, and it should rise again after Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Through two weeks, the Titans have allowed just 32 points and racked up 8 sacks and 5 turnovers.

In three of the next four weeks, the Titans will face the Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos -- three favorable fantasy matchups for defenses. You might end up dropping the Titans' defense when the schedule heats up later, but they're worth owning over the next month.